Don't the Dead Stay Dead?
by Dream Fox
Summary: When Kagome is killed by a mutated snake demon, her body "dies" while her soul turns into a ghost. Now, Inu-yasha, Shippo, and the rest, including a ghost Kagome have to find a way to cure her before the time runs out! Chapter 9 up
1. Death on the Demons

Disclamer: These obviously aren't my characters, or I wouldn't be writing this, would I? Just read the darn story! God, I can't believe you're actually bothering to read this disclamer!

"Urg!" grunted Inu-yasha as he hit the snake demons scaly body. The fang sword just clanged as it hit, bouncing off as if he had stuck metal. Sango took a shot next, but with the same effect. This wasn't a normal demon, but they couldn't understand why.

"Kagome!" Inu-yasha shouted to her. "Is there a shikon shard in it?"

"No!" she shouted back. She glanced around it's long, twenty foot body with no luck. The snake appeared perfectly normal, aside from the fact that its rattler was the size of her body. 

Inu-yasha dodged the snake's fangs as it struck for him. Damn, he thought. What is wrong with this snake? They're not supposed to be this strong.

"Snake demons, are in fact, one of the least powerful demons for their size. Their size is their only real weapon. They aren't very bright and have no real abilities. This demon, though, is particularly odd." Said Myouga on Kagome's shoulder. 

She looked over at him wide eyed. "You're still hanging about? I'd have thought you'd run long before now!"

"Well," he said, perfectly serious. "Snake demons aren't supposed to be very strong, so I figured you'd be just fine. Since I was wrong, I'll be leaving now." He hopped off her shoulder and scurried into the nearby underbrush.

"You really are a coward," she told him indignantly as he left in quite a hurry.

"Kagome!" Inu-yasha called frantically. "Look out!"

She turned around just in time to see the snake strike towards her. Teeth bared, and looking as menacing as possible, his eyes seemed to glow for a moment, before going back to their normal color.

The last thought Kagome had as she felt the demon's fang pierce her arm, was, 'now isn't that odd?'

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As Inu-yasha saw he fall to the ground, he panicked. This was wrong, all wrong. Why had the demon suddenly started to go for Kagome? It was attacking him last time he checked. 

"Kagome!" Sango called, rushing over to her friend's side. Miroku jogged over to her side. Inu-yasha could only stand there staring at them. 

The snake turned on them. When Inu-yasha saw the blood dripping off it's fangs and Kagome lying unconscious on the ground behind it, he lost it. "Die, demon!" he cried, running towards it, sword upraised. The demon dodged it with surprising speed. 

Then something odd happened. Something seemed to click inside the demon; its eyes seemed to go fuzzy for a moment and when Inu-yasha noticed this, he immediately charged it. 

The snake demon didn't even see it coming. Inu-yasha drove the sword strait through its mouth and up through its head. The demon's eyes rolled back, so all you could see was the white lining. He lay their for a moment, perfectly still with his head raised toward the sky. Then he dropped to the snake with a huge thud. The earth seemed to shake for a moment before going still. 

Miroku and Sango were shocked, and for a moment just stood still looking at the dead snake demon. But Inu-yasha lost no time at all. He jumped up, leaving the fang sword lying in the demon's mouth, and ran as fast as he could toward Kagome.

She was lying on the ground, with a pool of blood surrounding her. That's not normal, thought Inu-yasha. That's too much blood. 

The tip of the demon's fang still lay buried in her arm where is had struck. Blood splattered over her white uniform, making it look like some bazaar art, but Inu-yasha was not impressed. He was scared, almost out of his wits.

The next to run up to him and Kagome was Shippo. "Eeep!" he cried falling to his knees by Kagome's side. "Inu-yasha! Inu-yasha! Kagome's dead! She's DEAD!" he started to wail.

"Shut up!" he said, hitting him on the back of the head. "She is NOT dead." But at the same time he wasn't really that sure. Was she dead? No, he thought. No, Kagome couldn't be dead. Not the Kagome who, just a few hours ago had laughed at his reaction to coffee. Not the Kagome who made him sit when he hit Shippo, or teased her. That Kagome just couldn't be dead.

Sango and Miroku finally got a hold over themselves and ran over to join them. "Oh my goodness," said Miroku when he saw her. "That's a lot of blood."

Sango sat and rested Kagome's head on her lap. Inu-yasha watched her, frantic for some sort of explanation as the demon hunter checked the girl's pulse. Then, Sango lifted her eyes to him, slow and sadly. "She's dead," she told him.

Inu-yasha just starred at her. She couldn't be dead. Sango was wrong. Maybe she was just not that sensitive to the pumping of her blood. But she wasn't dead. No, anything was possible but that.

"Waaaaaahhhhhh!" wailed Shippo, holding onto the end of Inu-yasha's robe like a child would hold a blanket. "Kagome's dead!!!!"

"Shut UP!" Inu-yasha roared at him, standing up and ripping his robe out of Shippo's grasp. He ran into the forest at full speed.

"Inu-yasha!" called Sango from behind him. But he ignored it and continued to run. He ran with all his power, trying to escape it. But he couldn't. No matter how fast he ran, no matter how much he pretended it wasn't true, that didn't change the fact that Kagome was dead.

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Hi, folks.

As you know, not much happened in this story. Well, Kagome did die, but we haven't gotten into the main plot line yet. If you don't like it so far, I promise you, Kagome does not stay dead. Well, not exactly. The next chapter will be up in a day or so. Please review, or I might not bother to write more!

Thanx

-Dream Fox


	2. Nose in the dirt, head in the clouds

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Don't own it, which is fairly obvious, so why are you even bothering to read this?

Inu-yasha finally awoke from his slumber from the top of the tree. When he first came into consciousness, he thought that everything was fine. Then he remembered what happened that afternoon.

Kagome was dead, and he had cried himself to sleep on top of the tree. He rubbed his eyes where the tears had dribbled down, which was now itchy. How odd crying is, he thought. How odd it is for me to cry. I haven't cried in years. Not since his parents died, the last death that fell the heaviest on his soul.

But Inu-yasha was known for his strength (well, physical at least. Mental ability was not his stronger suit). After a good couple hours of sleep, he had managed to pull himself together pretty well. On the outside, he looked more or less like his tough demon self. 

His inside state was a bit of a wreck. He had convinced himself he didn't need Kagome. "Damn that girl, for leaving me by myself," he murmured to himself. "It's all her fault. I wouldn't be having these human feelings if it weren't for her." He spat human out like a curse. He had gone more or less, back into his hatred of his human side, which he had grown slightly fond of during the time Kagome was around.

Inu-yasha was felt nothing but complete hated toward Kagome. The shock had ruined what little mental health he had been able to hold onto in his horrifying years of being a hanyou. He had begun to think like a demon again.

He tipped his ears to the wind slightly, listening for any interesting sounds, or signs of danger. That was what he wanted most now. To rip something apart; anything he could possibly get his hands on. The tougher fight it gave, the better. Where was that idiot brother of his when you needed him, he wondered to himself angrily.

Hopping down from his tree, Inu-yasha ran through the forest. Well, to be technical, it wasn't much of a run. It was more of a mixture between running on the ground and hopping from tree to tree. Inu-yasha needed to burn some energy, and he had lots to spare before he would feel tired. 

When he got to the encampment the rest of his living friends had set up, Inu-yasha perched on a tree limb that overhung them, to watch them sleep.

Sango lay by the tree he stood on, with Kilala curled up in her arms. The firecat demon purred slightly and snuggled up closer to Sango. Shippo, too, was curled up at Sango's feet, snuggling deep into her deep, green blanket. They were either huddled up for warmth or comfort, but Inu-yasha wasn't exactly sure of which. Miroku was close by, and Inu-yasha saw that, by the flushed redness of his cheeks, he had tried to get a little to close to Sango and had learned his lesson the hard way. Inu-yasha didn't pity him a cent for it. Stupid pervert, he thought, always trying to get close to the girls. One day, he's going to get busted for it, and it'll be his own fault. If he even lays a hand on my Kagome-

Then he remembered.

He jumped down by them, next to the fading fire, that's embers were now only slightly glowing. He glanced around slightly, shifting his head back and forth, which made his hair flow back and forth like a fan. Then, he spotted what he was looking for.

About twenty feet away was a small mound. The dark dirt was rich and fresh like it had been taken up from the ground recently. And it had. Kagome had only died this afternoon, after all. And this, Inu-yasha thought, was Kagome's grave.

He sat down next to it. He wasn't going to sit down and pray for her soul to go in peace or anything. He didn't think Kagome would have liked that. Instead he sat down, and pushed his nose into the dirt of her grave.

It was soft and moist from the wetness of the ground. It was even slightly sticky on his wet nose. The smell of the flowers on top, drifted down to him like to strong perfume. But the thing that was the most disturbing, was he could smell Kagome. Her smell was in the dirt. This is when it finally, truly hit him that Kagome was actually dead.

He then completely lost it. He stopped trying to convince himself that he didn't like her, maybe even love her. He never felt so much pain at that moment. He had to have her back, and had to have her back NOW.

He tore into the dirt. He ripped away the flowers that lay on the top, getting his face covered in brown streaks of mud, and dirt under his long fingernails. He no longer even tried to be civilized. He dug like a dog, throwing dirt out from under him and scattering it in all directions. 

When he reached her body, just three or so feet down, he pulled it up from the ground. It was slightly stiff and covered in mud. The girl's hair had become a chocolaty brown and dirt filled every crevice of her body. Her uniform was stained with blood, which now was so dark, it looked almost purple. And her eyes; her eyes were closed. They're closed, thought Inu-yasha. They're closed forever.

He held her body close and cried. He rocked back and forth as he cried, holding her in his arms like a mother would hold a child. His tears fell onto her darkish, mud stained skin, and where it ran down her cheek, it left a long, pale mark, the real color her skin had been.

Then, he heard something. He wasn't the only one crying. Someone else was crying with him. He stopped his crying for a moment, if only to listen to it. The crying was soft and wispy, like someone who is crying with little breath left in their body.

Assuming it was Sango or Shippo, he wheeled around to yell at them, to tell them to go away and leave him in peace. Truth be told, he was a little embarrassed to be caught showing such strong emotion.

But what he saw was not what he expected. Instead, there sat a girl on the root under the tree. Her arms were rapped around her face and her forehead rested on her knees. She was, in fact, a very familiar looking girl, with an odd, white uniform and long, raven black hair.

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Hey again, my pals and gals!

I just put out my first chapter yesterday, and because I got at least one review from Kitsune hanyou (thank you very much!!!) I decided to do at least one more chapter. My goal this time is two reviews, people! If I get just two more reviews, I'll happily write more! I really need to know what you people think of my masterpiece!


	3. See go Ghost

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

"Kagome?" Inu-yasha whispered. He crept forward, not even daring to hope what he saw.

She looked up at him from over the tops of her arms. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked oddly pale, but it was defiantly Kagome. When she saw him, her eyes went wide, as if she didn't expect to see him there. 

But Inu-yasha did not even notice these odd gestures. His mind was too confused by the idea that Kagome was sitting in front of him. He stood up slowly, letting her copy fall to the ground with a thud, but he just continued to watch, nothing wavering his attention from her. "Kagome?" he whispered again. He took a slow step forward.

"Inu-yasha?" she whispered back, as though she was shocked by something. She began to stand also.

"Is that you?" he asked. When she nodded, he put his hand over his mouth and Kagome would have sworn she saw more tears dribble down his cheeks.

He started running towards her, arms outstretched, to grab her in a huge hug. As he neared her, she too opened her arms to hold him.

Then before either of them even realized it, something went horribly wrong. Instead of falling into each other's arms, they fell THROUGH each other. Inu-yasha fell onto the root on the opposite side with a huge WHACK! Kagome though, fell to the ground silently. They both turned around to look at each other. 

Then Inu-yasha realized something. Kagome was sitting on a huge pile of leaves, and yet none of the leaves had moved at all as she landed there. Her foot crackled none of the rough leaves that Inu-yasha's feet crunched. It was as though she couldn't touch the physical world at all.

Then, Inu-yasha saw her grave behind her. He saw her body lying on the ground next to it; her REAL body, which was covered so filthily with dirt and grime. Not this perfectly ordinary copy that sat across from him.

It then hit him what was going on. He looked over at her wide-eyed. Kagome's eyes widened then too, just from his scared look. "M-m-Miroku!" Inu-yasha cried, crawling franticly backward a few feet. "Miroku! Come here quickly!" he yelled as loud as he could.

He heard feet pounding from his left. Miroku came from behind the trees, running quickly in his direction. He looked ridiculously silly, running around his pajamas, but Inu-yasha was too sidetracked to say anything.

"What? What is it Inu-yasha?!?!" he asked hurriedly. Then looking in the direction Inu-yasha was staring, he saw her. Her hand was clutched around a perfect copy of the Shikon necklace she wore. Her other hand lay behind her supporting her body, with her feet lying out in front of her. Her expression was as shocked and terrified as the other two's. "Good Lord," he whispered.

Sango and Shippo came bounding out of the woods behind him, Shippo holding onto Sango's shoulder like a bird would. "What? Where's the fire?" he asked, glancing around hastily. When he saw Kagome, his eyes lit up.

"Kkkkkkkaaaaaaaaggggggggggoooooooooommmmmmmmmeeeeeeee!!!!" he squealed, hopping off Sango's shoulder and over to Kagome. "You're alive!" He bounded over to her, throwing his arms out to give her a small (but in his point of view, huge) hug. 

It had the exact same effect as Inu-yasha's hug had. He flew right through her, landing flat on his head. 

"Shippo!" she cried, wheeling around to where he now lay in a daze. She got down on her hands and knees to peer down at him. "Are you okay?" she asked quickly and concerned. 

"You-" Miroku began, taking a step toward her. She turned around and looked over at him, eyes wide and innocent. "You're a ghost."

"Wwwwwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" cried Shippo, regaining his normal manor. "Kagome's dead again!!!"

 "Shut UP, Brat!" Inu-yasha snapped, tiring of Shippo's eccentric comments. "How could this happen?" he asked Miroku urgently.

"Well, my guess is that it would have something to do with a certain someone digging up her grave and removing her body from its resting place." He said pointedly to Inu-yasha with his eyebrows raised, noticing the upturned dirt and the body lying on the ground. 

Inu-yasha blushed furiously. "Well, maybe I overdid it a little," he mumbled.

Kagome then forgot her odd, partly see-through position. She stood up furiously. "Overdid it?!?! My grave is in ruins, by body is covered in mud and blood, I'm now a ghost who no one can touch, and you say you overdid it a LITTLE! Sit!!!"

Inu-yasha winced, waiting for his body to go pummeling to the ground. But as he waited there for his painful trip to the ground, nothing happened. It was totally quiet. He peeked out of his right eye, and then his left. He was still standing, as through she had never said THAT word at all. They were all looking at him a little surprised and expectantly. After a few seconds, Miroku sighed. 

"Actually, it doesn't terribly surprise me. Now that Kagome's out of her body and she has no 'life-force' per say, she's lost a lot of her abilities that involve using her physical and life energy. And obviously, the use of a material body."

"Don't I have anything left?" cried Kagome.

Miroku cocked a small smile, which was slightly surprising considering the occasion. "Actually, your powers involving, effecting, and changing the spiritual world and manipulating spiritual energies are probably quiet normal. In fact, if I am to judge by my intuition, it has actually skyrocketed. Your abilities from being a Miko have also greatly increased it."

"Well, that's completely great and all now that Kagome is a full fledged Miko, but what good is that going to do now that she's a ghost?!?! I certainly don't think that it's a fair trade," Inu-yasha said angrily.

"Yes," Sango agreed, saying something for the first time. "But how do we change her back? How can we put Kagome back into her body, or in the very least send her to the next world or life or whatever?"

"Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Kagome said crossly, already upset from the encounter. The three ignored her completely.

"Well," Miroku began thoughtfully. "To be completely honest, I have no idea."

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Hey my fans!

Dream Fox here to tell you what's up! Actually, I'm posting this on the same day I put up chapter two, only one day after I first put this story up. Thank you everyone for the reviews! Actually, quite a few people reviewed before they even saw Chapter two, so I apologize for not thanking you guys before. And to Icefire, I would love to put up longer chapters, but I get so EXCITED to put up a new chapter, I can't help but cut myself slightly short. I will try and update fairly often though. Unfortunately, I can only update at one of my houses, but I'll try and update at least once a week, but if I stay this excited about it, I'll probably update a lot. 

To be completely honest, I don't really know where this story is going. I don't even have a rough outline, even if I have a few ideas. Encouragement through reviews would be a great help.

Love and Kisses loyal fans,

Dream Fox


	4. Sleeping Dirty

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

"What do you mean you have no idea?!?!" Inu-yasha roared, grabbing Miroku's collar and hauling him up almost off his feet. He growled in Miroku's face, baring his sharp, white teeth.

"Hey wo' there, Boy!" Miroku said hastily, putting up his hands as if to ward off Inu-yasha's aura. "I said I don't know, but that doesn't mean much. It's not exactly like my quest is trying to find out how to bring people back from the dead, I'm trying to kill Nuraku. 

"And besides," he added as Inu-yasha slowly started setting him back on the ground. "Kagome's a pretty unusual case. It's not exactly like she's already in heaven, or her next life, or anything. Her soul's right here."

"It'd be pretty easy to send her to her next life, though. It's actually what should be done, and it is ethically correct, but of course, we wouldn't want that."

"Hold on one darn minute," Kagome put it, sticking out her chin and crossing her arms. "Who said I wanted to be put back into my body anyhow? I might be perfectly happy going onto my next stage in life."

They all starred at her. "Is that what you want to do?" asked Miroku, a bit shocked.

"Well, no," she admitted. "I'm just telling you not to make assumptions." They all gave her odd looks.

"Hey Miroku-kun," Shippo whispered in the monk's ear. "Are you sure something didn't get messed up when Kagome became a ghost?" No one but Miroku heard him though.

"I think," Sango began, "that we should go talk to Lady Kaede. She'll probably have a couple good ideas."

"A fantastic idea," Miroku agreed, nodded his head.

"Erm….," Inu-yasha began. They all looked over at him. "What should we do with Kagome's body?"

"We'll have to bring it with us, of course!" Kagome told him. "Where do you expect me to go when we finally do figure out how to put my soul back? Put me into a mud body like Kikyo?" Inu-yasha blushed furiously at that comment.

Inu-yasha scooped up Kagome's dirty, mud covered body. Her head fell over the edge of his shoulder, her long hair falling just past his knees and swaying a little in the wind. "Poor me," Kagome said, looking at her body. "I look so helpless, lying like that." 

Inu-yasha privately agreed, but he was so agitated by the confusing circumstance, this seemed like an incredibly rude comment. He WAS trying his best after all. "Why don't you help then?" he snapped. "Oh yeah, you CAN'T; you're a ghost."

Kagome winced, thinking her feelings remarkably resembling a punching bag. Inu-yasha immediately felt bad. "Sorry," he murmured as he walked by her towards the camp. This made her feel a little better, so she trotted along with the others where they went to pick up their stuff.

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"This really is a remarkable situation," Kaede said, examining the body and then looking over at Kagome's ghost. "And I think, Miroku and Sango, that you two were slightly wrong." They both looked over, interested. 

Inu-yasha, on the other hand, paced the floor nervously. At this pause, he lost his patience. "Well?" he snapped. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It seems," Kaede began. "That Kagome is not dead at all."

"What?!?!" shouted the gang, all of them leaning forward with their faces in a state of astonishment.

"Yes. It seems that she hasn't died, but gone into a state of sleep, similar to that a bear goes into every winter."

"Oh," Kagome said, realization on her face. She sat back and pounded her fist into the flat of her other palm. "You mean hibernation."

"Is that what it's called? Well yes, she has gone into a long sleep from which she cannot be awakened."

"How romantic," sighed Kagome, lying back and looking at the ceiling boards. "It's like some sort of fairytale, like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White."

"I have no idea what you speak of," Kaede told the day-dreamy girl. "But your soul apparently refused to rest with the rest of your body. Maybe you were to restless or something of the sort."

"Will my true loves kiss awaken me?" she asked sitting up. For some reason, Inu-yasha blushed furiously at that comment.

"What are you talking about, Child? Kisses don't return wondering souls!"

"Oh," Kagome said pouting. "Darn. That's how it always is in the books."

"This isn't a story, dear. This is real life, and we have to find a way to put you back in your body."

"Or what?" asked Miroku. "Not that I'm happy having Kagome a wondering soul or anything, but what would happen if we don't put her back?"

Kaede shook her head. "That is a fate worse then death. In the least, when you die, your soul is reincarnated or sent to the next life. But when you become a wondering soul, you' disappear. You can not ever go into the next life, not like a ghost could when it's exorcized, and you can't go back into your body. You simply disappear into nothing."

"Quick!" Inu-yasha shouted, jumping up from the place he had sat down. "How much time do we have?!?! Hours? Days? Weeks? What? Tell, me quick!"

"Calm down, Inu-yasha," Kaede told him, making sitting gestures towards the floor with her hands. "You have three months in the least. Maybe more. You can't tell until just a few hours before it begins to happen."

"Well, what does happen?" Sango asked. "We should keep our eyes open for the signs in the least."

"One sign is she shall become drowsy, as though she were getting very tired. Kagome, you're going to have to pay attention for that one. The most obvious to the rest of you, is she shall begin to fade," Kaede told them. "Slowly at first, then going quicker as it continues, until she has become nothing at all."

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Hey again.

God, I write these fast. I doubt I'll go this fast after a couple weeks, but now, I'm coming out with about one a day. 

There were a few things I wanted to let you guys know before I continued, but at the moment I can't really remember all them.

Firstly, I wanted to let you all know that Inu-yasha probably won't be as emotional as he was in the first few chapters from here on out. Nothing to mushy, because I think that strays to far from the story line. I'm trying to, at least to a moderate degree, keep the characters similar to their original personality. Maybe a few lovey dovey things at the very end, but not much.

Also, if you think anything sounds odd in here, maybe old fashion, that's because that's how I talk. I talk pretty old fashion like (or so everyone tells me. I probably picked that up from all the Shakespeare!). Also, most of the character's reactions are how I would react, so it might be little strange.

Thanx for all the reviews! I love reading them!!! I check every few hours to see if I got any new ones, and I really look forward to getting them!

Love and Kisses loyal fans

Dream Fox

Also, if you want me to write back to any of your reviews or anything, by email or through my bottom notes, just let me know through reviews!


	5. We're Off to the Scary Mountains

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

"Disappear?" Kagome asked. "You mean like poof?"

"Well, not exactly 'poof'," Kaede admitted. "But you have the basic idea."

"I don't want to disappear!" Wailed Kagome. "I'm perfectly happy the way I am." They all turned to stare at her. "Well," she admitted, "not exactly NOW, but you've caught me at a bad time."

"It's settled then," Inu-yasha said, standing up. "We'll leave now."

"Inu-yasha, do you have any idea where you are going or what you're going to do?" Miroku asked.

"Not the slightest." They all fell over.

"Hey, Dog Breath!" Kagome yelled in his ear. "This is a life and death situation, and mine no less! Just what were you intending to do?!?!"

"I thought I'd just go about it the normal way," he told her, perfectly serious. "We go around and kill demons until one of them can give us information. Isn't that the way we normally do it?"

"Yes," Miroku agreed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "But it clearly hasn't been very effective now has it?"

"What shall we do?" Sango asked, turning to Kaede.

"I suggest you head south, toward the Fire Mountains. There has been rumors circulating about a hermit who has much knowledge in the area of wondering souls and things of the such."

"The Fire Mountains, eh?" Sango said broodingly. "That won't be easy. That mountain range is well known for its demons and monsters, particularly dragons."

"And what do you purpose we do with Kagome's body while were there, all-knowing-one?" Inu-yasha asked Kaede sarcastically. "Take it with us and have it burned to a crisp while we're wandering idly?"

"I think NOT," Kagome told them.

"Yes, while you're in the mountains, you can leave her body here. It should be safe enough."

"I hope so," Kagome told her. "Or even if we do find a way to put me back, I'll have no where to go back TO. 

"Can her spirit really go that far from her body? Will her soul be able to return to her normal body, from all the way down there?" asked Miroku, fascinated.

"Well, it is a WONDERING soul, after all," she told him. "It should be fine. And when you do send her soul back, it should return strait here. The body acts like a homing beacon for the soul and should be able to return through any distance, maybe even time."

"Talking about time, all I have to do is go home before I leave, just to get a few more things and tell my family," Kagome told everyone, standing up.

"About that. I'm afraid I have bad news," Kaede told her hesitantly.

"What?" Kagome asked, turning her head as she headed towards the door.

"You can't go back."

"What?!?!" yelled Kagome. "Who's going to stop me?!?!"

"No, you don't understand." Kaede told her sighing. "It is impossible to go back while you're in spirit form. You need a physical body to travel through the well."

"Oh, man," Kagome said, slapping her forehead. "Mom's going to kill me."   

"Also, I have more things to tell you about being a wondering spirit. You can't be physically hurt, but you have normal human limitations. If you walk a long way, it'll feel like your legs are hurting. In addition,'" she said, turning to Inu-yasha, "because she can't be touched, you won't be able to carry her."

"This," Inu-yasha said, turning to Kagome, "Will be a very long trip."

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"Inu-yasha, I'm tired…" moaned Kagome, dragging her legs up the mountain.

"Quiet, wench," he snapped at her. "We just stopped an hour ago. You humans tire to quickly."

"Well, pardon me for be HUMAN," she told him sarcastically.

Inu-yasha still didn't understand the concept of sarcasm. "Good. You should be."

"If I could ware hiking shoes, I would be fine," Kagome grumbled to herself. "But I can't change out of the clothes I died in." Kaede had told them this was another limitation of being a wondering soul.

"What are you mumbling about, wench?"

"Nothing," she pouted.

"Hey!" Sango called from the top where she and Miroku were standing to scout. "There's a cave at the other side of the mountain! Maybe it's the hermit's cave. It's supposed to be around here somewhere."

"Yeah!" yelled Kagome, picking up speed. "I'm going to get a body, I'm going to get a body!" she sang.

"Do you have any idea how stupid you sound?" Inu-yasha told her. He was rewarded with a menacing glare.

The cave was large and dark looking, not the kind of thing you'd expect a human to live in, even if it was a hermit. Kagome, though, seemed completely unfazed. "Hello?" she called. "Anyone home?" The echo of her calls bounced off the walls, repeating 'home' several times, until disappearing into the distance.

"Idiot!" Inu-yasha whispered harshly to her. "These caves are connected to each other, and are miles and miles long. Now everything that lives within twenty miles inside these passages will have heard you." 

She clasped her hands over her mouth and whispered, "oops."

"Yes," Miroku agreed, taking a step foreword. "BIG oops."

"Quiet," Inu-yasha told him harshly. "I think I hear something."

They all were instantly quiet. All they could hear was the distant dropping of water. "There's nothing in there," Kagome whispered back.

"Shhh!" he shushed her. "There it is again." Sure enough, from somewhere deep in the cavern, there was a little cry, like the meowing of a cat.

"That's not so scary," Kagome said, turning to them. "It's just a cat."

"And WHY, may I ask, is a cat in the middle of demon infested mountains?" This was an excellent point, so Kagome decided to not push it further. Unfortunately, however, curiosity killed the cat.

"I'm going to go see what it is," Kagome said, trotting off into the cave.

"Ah, wait for me, Kagome-chan," Shippo yelled, trotting to catch up with her.

"Idiot!" yelled Inu-yasha, running after her. "You could get killed in there."

"Stupid," Kagome yelled back from the inside of the cave. "I can't get killed! I'm a ghost, remember?"

"It appears like she isn't the only idiot," Miroku told Sango. "After you, my dear."

"Baka," Sango murmured, but went in anyways.

"Make that three-fold," Miroku said, sighing to himself, and jogging in to catch up with them.

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Hey peeps!

Dream Fox back again with new updates. I tried making this chapter a bit longer, but I have no self-control and couldn't help but stop a bit before I was intending. I just love making people happy (or at least that's what I keep telling myself….)

Actually, I tried making this chapter a bit humorous. My other chapters were pretty emotional and deep, so I tried to make this one a bit light. Is it good, or am I getting rotten fruit thrown at me? Let me know, PLEASE!!! I'm writing my new chapter soon and I want to know what you guys prefer.

Also, I was thinking about writing a new Inu-yasha story. This one would still be updated just as often, but I was getting another good idea. Kagome is a blind psychic girl and Inu-yasha is a boy who can turn himself into a demon. The two are good childhood friends, but when they enter their teens, and just start to discover their friendship might be MORE, Kagome gets kidnapped for her abilities and Inu-yasha has to save her. What do you guys think? Should I do it? I'd really like to know if anyone would actually read it.

I think that was it…

Oh yeah, one more thing! Put me on your favorites list, otherwise, how will you be able to check out my new chapters? I should have one up on Thursday, but you won't be able to see it until Thursday night or Friday, cause it takes so long to get posted. Check back then!

Love and Kisses loyal fans!

Dream Fox


	6. Caverns and Dragons

Disclaimer: Need I say it?

The cave was very, very, very, dark. When you first entered, the illumination from the outside sun lit it up enough to see, but once you got deeper in, it was nearly impossible to see your hand in front of your face.

For everyone, but Kagome that is. "What?" she said, starring down at her body. "I'm glowing!"

"Your like one of those stick thingies that make light come out of the other side," Shippo said, entranced.

"Oh, you mean a flashlight," Kagome said, turning towards the little fox demon.

"Hey Kagome," Miroku called, catching up with the rest of them. "All you have to do is take off your clothes and well have enough light to guide us."

Needless to say, he was pounded. "Not FUNNY, Miroku," Kagome told the monk, grounding her teeth together.

"It's probably from your increase in spirit awareness and power," Sango told the girl. "You're most likely subconsciously making your body glow, which is much easier in a non-solid form."

"Boy," Kagome said looking down at herself. "If this is what I can do subconsciously, I'd hate to think of what I could do consciously."

"Come ON!" Inu-yasha snapped back at them. "If were going to find the location of that mewing sound, lets not waste time. This isn't the best place to have a picnic."

"Wow, Inu-yasha," Kagome said, looking up at him. "For someone who was so reluctant to come in, you sure are in a hurry." He wisely decided to ignore that comment.

As they continued on their trek, Sango studied the walls. They were silver blue colored, with little flecks that looked like tiny crystals or tears. Several dagger like rocks hung from the ceiling, making an ever-present dripping sound. It smelled like salt and the air tasted stale and dry. She was constantly watering her mouth to keep it moist.

"There!" Kagome pointed, indicating to a corner. "It's coming from around there!"

She started running towards it, and the rest of the group had to run quickly to keep up with her. As she wheeled around the corner, she came face to face with a…. a….

"A giant lizard?!?!" Shippo cried. And so it was.

The "lizard" was about seven feet high, with greenish colored scales. Its snout was large, with a long, red tongue that flicked in and out of its mouth. Its teeth, on the other hand, were about the size of an arm and a pearly white, which seemed to glow lightly in Kagome's dim light. Its eyes seemed to water as it looked up at them sadly.

"Oh no," Miroku said, taking a step back. "That isn't a lizard, that's a dragon!"

"What?!?!" Kagome said, taking a quick step back. "That's a dragon? I expected something a little bigger and fearsome, not a crying reptile."

"Hey, do you WANT to get eaten?" Inu-yasha looked over at her. "You almost sound disappointed."

"It isn't a full grown dragon," Sango told the rest of them. "That's just a baby, probably around the age of a toddler."

"And how old is that?" Kagome asked.

"About 600 years."

"What?!?!" Shippo cried. "By then I'll be a full adult! I'll be past my prime!"

"You think that's bad?" the monk told the fox sarcastically. "I'll be DEAD."

"It's sad about something," Kagome said gently, talking a step foreword.

"Don't get to close!" Inu-yasha warned. "Or you'll be burnt to a crisp."

"Inu-yasha, I'm dead!" she told him for the second time in an hour. He blushed at his forgetfulness.

"Kagome," the monk called over to her. "Try tuning in your thoughts to the dragon. A normal dragon should have extremely strong barriers, but it's a baby so it won't be as good. Imagine yourself looking out of its own eyes and having the same senses it does. You can probably hear its thoughts."

The girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She imagined seeing from inside it, seeing her own body with her eyes closed, and the rest of them watching her. She imagined the salty smell of the cavern overpowering her, as she imagined the dragon had an excellent sense of smell. She could hear the sound of breathing, and taste the rough floor beneath her bare feet.

Suddenly, as the rest of them watched, Kagome disappeared.

"Kagome!" Inu-yasha called franticly, looking everywhere around the cavern. "Kagome, where are you?!?!" The cries echoed softly off the walls of cavern, bouncing around until the disappeared. But no answer came.

"Where did she go, monk!" Inu-yasha yelled, whirling on the bewildered lecher, holding him up by the scruff of his robe. "What did you have her do? I'll personally see to it you'll die if anything happens to her!"

"It was a simple exercise to put her into the dragon," the stuttering monk said. "Her soul just went into the dragon! She has no physical body so she doesn't leave anything behind."

"Just went into the DRAGON?!?! What if she gets stuck? What if she becomes a dragon? It's bad enough having a ghost around, but think of how bad it'll be if she's a dragon!"

"Don't worry," Miroku said, trying to calm the frantic demon. "She'll be fine! It isn't possible to get stuck in someone else's body. That would be like trying to keep water in a glass in the hot, hot sun. Eventually she'll evaporate."

"Thank you," Inu-yasha said, rolling his eyes sarcastically. "It makes me feel so much better knowing she's going to evaporate instead."

"Look, just hold on. She should be back in just a moment."

Sure enough, just a few seconds later, a shimmer appeared on the ground beside them. It was Kagome, but something was seriously wrong. She lay on the ground, sobbing her eyes out.

Hey everyone!

Is something wrong with my site? Not a single person reviewed for the last chapter! Is my story really that bad, or do you people just hate that style? Well, whatever it is, I'm switching back to the old one, because that kind's clearly not favored. Even my supposed "friends" from school were supposed to read and review, but kept "forgetting." Yeah right. They just hate me. What a life I have, eh?

Anyway, I doubt many people noticed, but I'm putting up my new chapter a day late, 'cause of certain real world stuff. I've had lots of homework, plus a load of tests. Not to mention tomorrow's my birthday! All together now…"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DREAM FOX!" Thank you, that makes me feel so much more appreciated. 

Any who, review my stuff!!! It's really annoying to see stories that are a third as long as mine that have 300 reviews! Isn't it funny how some things get lots of reviews and some get none? Make me happy people! Just for my birthday!

Love and Kisses everyone!

Dream Fox


	7. Both speaking Japanese, yet not speaking...

Disclaimer: Need I say it?

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled, the first one to react. "What's wrong?!?!"

The girl looked up at the little dragon. "The poor thing. The poor little dragon's lost its way," and she started to sob again.

"He was so scared," she gasped through her tears. "And he was all alone. He kept crying out until no one came."

"It's okay, Kagome," the monk said, trying to comfort the weeping girl. "We'll help him."

She only looked up at the dragon, tear eyed. "Camoss uss essitassa," she told it.

The rest of them only starred at her. "That was Dragonesst," Miroku told them, startled. "Did you know Kagome could speak Dragonesst?" The rest of them only stared at her dumbfounded and shook their heads.

"What did you say?" asked Sango.

"I told him it would be alright," Kagome told the demon hunter. "I told him we would help him."

"Ho wa!" Inu-yasha said, taking a step back. "I agreed to find the mewing, not help dragons in distress."

Kagome glared tearful eyed up at the demon, who took another step back. "Nasse hissa fossatss."

"What?!?!" Inu-yasha glared at her. "In Japanese, Girl! Speak Japanese! Not all of us are fluent in Dragonesst!"

"She was swearing at you," Miroku told the demon.

"She was WHAT?!?!" He yelled, staring at the girl spirit. "She not only can speak Dragonesst, but she can swear in it?!?! God, things are changing so fast I can't keep track of them!"

"I think," Miroku told them thoughtfully, "that her contact with the dragon's mind has left extra information which she takes with her. She has some of the dragon's memories and can speak Dragonesst."

"Can I do that with anyone?" Kagome asked him thoughtfully.

"Well, if you want to be technical, anyone with a moderate amount of spirit energy can do it, but because you're a miko and you're currently a wondering soul, your spirit energy is significantly above the average human's. In your normal body, you could do it, but it would be difficult and would take a fair amount of time. Now, you can pop in and out of peoples minds like a person can hop from one stepping stone to another."

"Gee, that's real comforting," Shippo said, sarcastically. "I love being compared to a rock."

"A stone, Shippo," Miroku told the fox. "You're a stepping stone. You're not quiet down to the level of a rock." 

"That could be useful," Inu-yasha said thoughtfully, still watching the young miko.

She glared at him. "Do you always think of me in terms of my use?"

"Always," he replied, completely unfazed. "Can she control the person when she's inside?"

"No," Kagome answered instead of Miroku, upset by Inu-yasha's lack of faith in her knowledge. "It's like being a co-pilot. I can watch but I can't control the plane."

They all stared at her. "Are you speaking Dragonesst, wench?"

She sighed. "Never mind."

"Anyway," Sango said, turning to look at the baby dragon, who was beginning to look a little less sad. "What are we going to do with this guy?"

"I'm going to show him the way out, of course," Kagome told her, with a determined look on her face.

"I already told you," Inu-yasha snapped at her. "We don't have time to help baby dragon's find their way home. Were on a time limit remember? We only have so long to put you back into your body."

"Inu-yasha!" Kagome said, startled by his seriousness. "Are you really doing all this for me?"

"Get real, wench," Inu-yasha completely insensitive. "All I need is my shard detector. I'd never save you 'cause I like you or nothing."

Once this phrase would have been rewarded with a series of 'sits' but Kagome was either becoming more used to his tough guy attitude or she was becoming extremely passive when becoming a wondering spirit.

"Besides," Kagome told the temperamental demon. "I thought you'd be a little more compassionate for a baby who's lost his mother."

Inu-yasha looked up at the sad dragon, who, as if sensing that the demon was making an important decision regarding him, seemed to look even more helpless and sad.

"Feh," Inu-yasha said, turning his head. "Okay, well help him."

"See, Inu-yasha!" Kagome cried in joy. "You can have a heart!"

"But only," Inu-yasha warned, "if he can find his own way once we get out of the caves."

Kagome, thinking this was a reasonable request, cocked her head side-wards at the dragon. "Imissa tashinoesss massso ala calaess shinso."

The dragon cocked its head back in the same direction. "Massso icia no shina."

"Translation?" Inu-yasha asked, still a little disturbed by her new ability.

"He can find his way once he gets outside. Dragons have some kind of compass in their heads like birds to tell them which direction they need to go."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And he told you all that?"

"Well, no," she admitted. "He only told me he could find his way. The rest I know from memories. Actually, Dragonesst sounds really long and complicated, but it's pretty simple. The dragons just tend to slur things and draw them out. There mouths aren't really meant for talking, because dragons can also talk mind to mind."

"Can Kagome do that?" Inu-yasha asked Miroku, eyes wide and jaw open.

"Yes," he admitted with a shrug. "But it'd take a lot of energy that wouldn't be worth it to waste. Besides, dragons are born with the ability to speak Dragonesst, so the baby is completely fluent, which means Kagome now is also."

"Lets go then," Sango told the group, "before something really vicious comes along and wants to pick a fight."

"Comass ess taska," Kagome told the dragon as she started to head for the tunnel. Then suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

"Uh, guys?" the young miko asked nervously, slowly turning around to face the rest of them. "Does anyone know which direction we came from?"

They all stared at her dumbfounded.

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Hey again!

Thank you everyone for reviewing!!! I had an awesome birthday and those reviews made it all the better! Actually, it's in the middle of my party as I'm writing this, but all my anime crazy friends are reading manga, playing on the computer, or drawing. Like I said, what a life I have, eh?

Nothing new to speak of. I take it that since no one was too thrilled about my story idea, that no one's interested? Ah, well. I might just write it anyway and see what people say. If you have no idea what I'm taking about, go check out my updates a couple chapters ago (chapter 4 or 5, I think?) and you'll see my story idea. PLEASE PLEASE  PLEASE tell me what you think!!! I really want to know if anyone would actually read it!

Actually, I got a laptop for my birthday! Yeah! Now I'll have even more time to write new chapters! But, unfortunately, it doesn't have internet access so I can't post it on this computer. Later, I'm going to have to put this chapter on a disc and transfer it to my other computer to post it, so it might still take a few days to post!

Since I'm posting this tomarrow (Sunday), I'll probably have a new chapter up on Tuesday. If not, one will defiantly be up on Thursday.

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

Dream Fox


	8. Journey to the Center of the Caves

Disclaimer: I never did, don't, and never will own Inu-yasha (obviously).

"You don't remember the way?!?!" Inu-yasha yelled at the lost miko.

"Hey, I was distracted!" she yelled back with equal fierceness. "And it's not like you remembered either!"

"Now, now," Miroku said, trying to calm the two of them down.

"Shut up!" they both snarled at him, continuing on with their bickering.

"You know," Miroku said, leaning over next to Sango's ear, "those two should really get married. They fight like a married couple as it is. In fact," he murmured, "we should get marr-." His thought ended with a thwack on the head.

"We are lost in a mountain cave with no food, supplies, and a baby dragon. This is no time to be snuggling up," Sango told the monk fiercely. "Actually, you shouldn't be snuggling up anyway, pervert."

"Ah, well," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It was worth a try."

"Grown ups," he told the baby dragon, scolding. "And they think we're bad." The dragon sighed in agreement.

Suddenly the seven-foot baby seemed to get an idea. "Hassa nessoi bashiessa hastomasss. Uesssi comasss tonniii," he told Kagome. As an after thought he added. "Bashiessa deamoss jallass."

Kagome cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. She shrugged. "Deamoss hassa tallasa bashiessa."

"Sasso," the dragon replied quickly. Then indicating toward Inu-yasha and Shippo, told her, "Kasssa neoposs Deamoss hassa."

"Well," Inu-yasha asked impatiently. "What does he want?"

"First off, his name is Nessoi. That isn't his real name, of course, because that holds power over them, but it's what he is called." Then tilting her head to the side, told them, "dragons have an very strong sense of power. They can feel magic, as you might say. He said that if you two demons can smell the way towards the exit, he can pick up the trail easily after a while."

"Good," he said confidently. Then, as if realizing something, suddenly whirling towards Kagome, starred at her.

"What?!?!" she said, rebuking from his odd behavior and unnerving stare.

"I can't smell you," he said, shocked.

She sighed in relief. "Well, is that all? You had me scared for a moment. I thought something was really wrong."

"I can't smell you!" he said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Yes, I heard the first time," she told him, irritated. "I'm a ghost, of course you can't smell me. You can't even touch me."

"But smell is really important for us Canis demons," Shippo explained. "If we can't smell you, we have trouble locating you."

"Oh, well," she said shrugging. "If you ever want to smell me again, however, you better hurry up and tell us if you two can sniff your way in the right direction."

"Sure," Shippo replied, confidently. "After a while, our noses will be dull for a little, but we can probably get us going the right way. Isn't that right, Inu-yasha?" he asked, looking up at the older demon.

Inu-yasha, who finally seemed to be gaining control of himself once more, shrugged. "I guess."

"Good," Kagome replied. Then pointing her finger in the direction of one of the openings to a cavern said, "Find, boys!"

"Uh, Kagome?" Shippo said, embarrassed. "We came from the other opening."

She looked over at it, then shrugged. "Hey, you two are the ones with good noses. I can't even smell."

The two demons dropped to the ground, noses pressed to the floor, and lead the way, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Nessoi in trail.

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It was hours before Nessoi found a trace of the exit.

"Hey!" Kagome yelled at the two of them after about three hours. "I thought you two were demons, but your only chasing after wild geese!"

"Shut UP!" Inu-yasha yelled at her, not bothering to look up. He was already so irritated by the fruitless search, he didn't even bother to ask what she meant by wild geese. He just kept his nose pressed to the dirt ground, hoping that his slowly dulling nose would be able to pick something up.

Suddenly the baby dragon perked up. "Bashiessa messa contasana!" he told Kagome, excited. "Bashiessa messa contasana!"

"Nossena falshpa," she told it. Then, turning around to look at the frowning group, told them, "Nessoi has found the exit!" 

All of their faces lit up. Both Shippo and Inu-yasha looked relieved from their release of smelling, their noses dull by all the work.

"Mocassa!" the dragon said, pointing to the tunnel at the right.

"It's that way," Kagome translated. They all hurried off in that direction.

It took them only about ten more minutes to find the exit. When they saw the light at the end, they all dashed towards it. They all felt a great relief to see the sun once again and feel the powerful wind that always circulated around the high mountains.

Suddenly, they all felt a great wind whip over them. They looked over to find Nessoi opening two great wings on his back. They were light blue colored and resembled a bat's, with a mixture of bones and skin. Each on was about ten feet long and took up most of the cavern. They were all forced to duck, as they came out towards them with powerful pumps, whirling up dust. And slowly, ever so slowly, the little (but now less so) dragon lifted off into the air. 

As he whirled out of the tunnel with two powerful swoops, he cried back towards them, "Issino parva! Connstana!"

When the dust slowly began to calm and the baby dragon could barely be seen in the sky, Inu-yasha noticed, trickles of tears running down Kagome's face as she waved at Nessoi.

And none of them had to ask what the dragon had said.

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Hey again, ya'll!

Dream Fox is back once again with a new chapter just like I promised! I got plenty of reviews lately, so thank you everyone! I think I got a couple questions, so hold on while I check my email to see what they were….

Okay, well I only got two real QUESTIONS if you're going to be technical, but I have a few comments anyway.

First up, I just turned fourteen on May 3rd. Catlover55 asked me that.

Also, I know people like 'sits' it's just a little hard to work into a serious story like this one is for the most part, but I try to put some in, even if it's just references.

And to Laura, I did change my summery, so thank you for the suggestion.

Last, to Tinuviel, I answered your smell question in my story because you bring up a good point. So there. Also, Kagome can go into other people's minds, like Inu-yasha's, but that would be pretty rude anyway. Besides, that would lead in a lovey dovey direction, and like I said before, I want to keep the characters as similar as possible to the manga and anime. At the end, however, I might add a bit of mush.

If I don't have a new chapter up on Thursday, I'll have one on Friday. Same deal as always. 

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! I had a good one (particularly with my new laptop, which I am completely obsessed with at the moment!)!

Dream Fox 


	9. The Hermit of the Mountain

Disclaimer: Same old, same old

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Then, they heard a crackle behind them. Inu-yasha whirled around to face the person, drawing his blade in a swift, smooth motion.

"Calm down, my boy," he chuckled. "I'm not going to eat you." He must have found this horribly funny, because he broke down into laughter at the comment.

"Who are you?" Inu-yasha asked commandingly. "Show yourself."

"Now, my boy," the person said, stepping into the light. "That's no way to speak to your elders."

They all looked at the man. He was old, with a bald head and appeared to be any age from seventy to a hundred. 

"My elder," Inu-yasha scoffed. "Old man, do you have any idea who you're talking to? I'm a DEMON. You can't outlive us."

The man chuckled at this comment. "Well, my boy, it seems you are the ignorant one. You see, I too am a demon."

"What?" Inu-yasha said, leaning forward. "But you look so human…"

"Appearances mean nothing," he said, resting on the wooden staff he carried. "You should know that by now, Inu-yasha."

Inu-yasha startled violently at the mention of his name, and immediately reacted, bring his sword up for defense. "How do you know my name?"

The man laughed again annoyingly. "Ah yes, I believe your late father and I met several hundred years ago." He held up his hand to show the stub at the end of his arm where his wrist should have been. "He gave me this in our last gathering."

Inu-yasha seemed to put up even more of a guard. "He must not have liked you then."

"No," the man agreed. "We left on unpleasant terms."

"Why?" Inu-yasha growled.

"Oh, just demon politics," the man said loftily. "I just tried to boil him alive and eat him, that's all."

"What?!?!" yelped Inu-yasha. 

"Yes. You see," the man said, licking his lips, "there is nothing I prefer to eat, more then demon."

"You're not getting those nasty teeth into my bushy tail, that's for sure," Shippo cried, clutching his tail defensively.

"Well, aren't you sweet," he told Shippo, seeming genuinely sincere. "I could just eat you up." This brought a startled cry out of the young fox kit, who leapt over, hiding behind Kagome's legs, which were see-through, so it made little difference.

"Hey! You leave Shippo alone," she yelled at the demon, defending the scared pup.

"Well, aren't you cocky for a human," the man laughed, then studied her closer. "Well, you're not exactly human at the moment, are you?"

"Why you-," Kagome began angrily, taking a step forward. 

Inu-yasha blocked her off with his arm. "Let it go," he told her. "We may not like him, but we can hardly kill him when we need to find out how to cure you." Kagome stopped, realizing he spoke the truth.

"Well," she said crossing her arms defiantly. "I'll let it pass, as long as he doesn't try anything else."

"I'm not sure I can agree to that," the demon man told them, cocking his head. "For you see, there is a price to be paid for my services."

"A price?" Sango asked, speaking up.

"Yes," the demon told her. "You see, I require one demon for me to eat."

"For you to EAT!" yelled Kagome. "No way! You must be joking! Isn't there anything else we can do?'

"No," he told her. "I have to eat too, though not as often as you weak humans." Then he ran his long tongue over his lips nosily. "I was planning to have that young dragon for breakfast, but I decided when you came along, that I couldn't take all of you on at once."

"You were planning to eat Nessoi?!?!" Kagome squealed. 

He looked over at her mildly. "Of course. Do you think you eating chicken or cow is any different? You may sometimes forget that what you eat is another animal, but when it's convenient, you think that me eating a dragon is cruel. There is absolutely no difference."

Kagome thought about this for a moment. It was a valid point, she realized, that she had never really thought about before. But it still seemed so wrong!

"The animals we eat aren't very intelligent!" she shot back. "And we can't possibly have conversations with them!"

"So?!?!" the demon replied. "Does that mean they are inferior to you? They're still living, breathing animals that have thoughts and emotions."

"Well, when we eat the animals, we honor them for their sacrifice,'" Miroku argued.

"Does that mean I don't?!?!" he asked. "I'm extremely grateful for their sacrifice. Besides, it's my payment from you! You're agreeing to it."

"I never said we're agreeing to it! I'm not sacrificing one of my friends for my body!" Kagome yelled.

"Shut up, wench!" Inu-yasha yelled at her. "You only have two months to get your body back! We don't have time to argue about things like that!"

"Inu-yasha," Kagome asked, taking a step back. "Does this mean that you're going to sacrifice yourself for me?!?!"

"Don't be an idiot!" he snapped at her. "I'm not into all that chivalry stuff! We're going to find a demon, kill it, and haul it back for the old demon here to eat!"

"I don't agree," the demon told Inu-yasha.

"Are you TRYING to be difficult or is it just an accident?" Inu-yasha snapped.

"I like my meals freshly killed," the demon said, taking a step closer, suddenly looking very hungry. Then, his fingernails grew long, he sprouted dark, jet-black hair, and out of the top of his head, two bright red horns grew. "Very fresh…" he hissed through a snake like tongue.

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Hey again!

Dream Fox back with my latest chapter. Actually, I don't like this chapter very much. My ideas of how to end it were really fuzzy, so I have really no good ideas for the next chapter. Just a small one, but I have to think about it for a little while. Fortunately I have two days to do so, because it's a weekend. I'll probably have a new chapter up on Sunday, but I might, just might have a new chapter up on Saturday.

Did everyone hear? I have a new story up! Actually, it's not Inu-yasha at all but YYH or Yu Yu Hakusho. It's about the childhood of Kurama and what it's like growing up as a reincarnated fox demon. Pretty serious, but I'm really excited! Kurama is my favorite character, as I said in my bio. I just hope you guys all read it!

I think that's everything for now…

Dream Fox

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P.S. I'm writing this AFTER I've posted this story. It's almost a week after and unfortunately, not only do I have major writer's block, I've also been very sick. Please bear with me until my new chapter is up. It should probably be up within a week! Thanks for your patience!


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